jiangshi

That's not going anywhere.

NYBosoxfan

New chain rings are on it now I just have to size my chain and adjust my derailleurs and its ready..

deux jambes 

browngw 

The paint and the bike are mostly original. The frame was carefully cleaned and polished and touched up with a purple nail polish that took ages to find. New cables, housings, tires and bar tape were added. The lower steel jockey wheel on the Benelux RD was replaced with a modified Suntour wheel to help the chain stay centered. Even the Sun branded Wrights saddle is still in good condition. I've had it for three or four years.

RiddleOfSteel

You and me both! And I do like some purple bikes (with fast, pretty parts of course).

toavii

thinktubes 

merziac

Always happy when purple is asked for.

Lascauxcaveman 

Dang, there is a *****lo@d of pink and blue bikes on this thread. I'm not suddenly color blind, am I?

My purple bike is actually purple (and black). Great rider, too. Feels light and fast.

verktyg 

Several years ago, I started seeing pics of lilac - lavender - purple Raleigh Competitions. Never saw one before, just BRG (British Racing green) and black.

In February while doing some window shopping on eBay I found a 1971 lilac - lavender - purple bike and also a bare frame. In a pique of late night weakness I made a best offer on the bike.

The newest addition to the herd:

As equipped on eBay. Looked real purty:



It was supposed to have been completely overhauled.... I won't go there...

After I went through almost everything, it all works great now!





I'd planned on switching to a TA Cyclotouriste or Stronglight 93 crankset. I never cared Japanese "melt forged" pressure cast cranks like these SR Apex ones. I've was really surprised and how rigid these feel. I'll eventually switch to get a smaller low gears than 52-42T.

My excuse for buying this bike was to have a beater to ride the dirt sections of E'roica but never did the event. I've been riding this bike almost exclusively for the past 2-3 months. It rides and handles superbly (after I realigned the forks and frame).

BTW, the uber cheap Hutchinson 700c x 28 clinchers ride amazingly well. I'll ride them into the ground and then put on some Paselas.





@USAZorro Sorry, the blue does nothing for me, I'm too much into matchy matchy. Where's @Velocivixen our fashion consultant?

verktyg

USAZorro

I was hoping to match the color of the contrasting panels, but leather paint has a rather limited palette. Not ideal in that respect, but I'm at peace with it - at least for now. On the other hand, it does ride nicely.

thumpism 

Forgot that we once had a purple bike, an early caliper-brake Trek 520 that I built for my then-girlfriend (now bride) back in the early '80s. Grape metallic with red panels applied by Marinoni (same trip we got her Chiorda MTB done in pink/turquoise) and built back up with mostly stock parts, plus silver ESGE fenders, Grab On grips and barcons, I have not been able to find a pic but might have a group photo somewhere.

Velocivixen

Who said “matchy-matchy”?! @verktyg. I’ll post my own shortly.....even though it’s a recumbent.

due ruote 

Ibis tandem c. 1992. Difficult to capture the color but it's dark purple, I swear.

PilotFishBob 

Does "Silver Lilac" count? Looks somewhat purple-ish to me... My still-in-the-queue Motobecane Le Chamion, the pic as listed by the seller. Sadly, the seat tube was scratched up by the freewheel cogs in shipping (don't get me started), but it will be whole again soon!

noglider 

Does anyone have tips for capturing color? As I said, I haven't captured the purple of my McLean, and @due ruote had that trouble just now. I don't have a white garage door. Hmm, I don't have a garage.

madpogue 

Depends on what camera you're using. Look for a white-balance option, choose daylight/sunlight, and shoot in daylight. There's a lot more you can do, and depending on your tools, you could possibly correct in post, but that's the nutshell version.

verktyg 

I had 2 of these 1974-75 Motobecane Le Champion frames. One was supposed to be 57cm but turned out to be over 58cm C to T so I sold it. The color was brownish which was most likely due to the clear coat yellowing.



The second frame I bought is just my size, 55cm C to T, it's true lilac. It's been sitting for years, need to move it to the front of the build up line.



Both photos were from the sellers, that's why left side views.

verktyg

jamesdak 

Well let me add in my 72 U-08

abellanti

Here is my very purple Trek 170

noglider 

@jamesdak, your UO-8 appears to be original except for seatpost, saddle, and brake levers. Is that about right?

These purple bikes are really swoon-worthy.

jamesdak 

Pretty much. I have the original saddle, seatpost and shim. I also have the steel Rigida wheels but they really do not stop so they had to go. Now it's running the 27"s off that Fuji I converted to 650b. Oh and the purple plastic "wingnuts" on the QR's are 3D printed reproductions that I just slapped some purple paint on.

I keep waiting for the plastic RD to break but so far, so good.

solidtyres

Gitane TdF , early 70's. This is the bike I've owned the longest. Found in a dumpster in Oakland about 1985, had a front end wreck. Original light blue frame. I put it together with a new fork and tried it out (Thanks Juvela!). Liked it, so I had Bernie Mikkelsen replace the head tube and add a few braze-ons. Imron paint in the driveway and then replaced most everything else on the bike. It's been for sale a few times, but glad it didn't sell. The TTT stem is drilled so the bars are at a slight angle, which has given me a chance to accept life's imperfections. It's an older photo, and a few minor things different now. I'm considering a 650b conversion.

merziac

Tomato, tomotoe, potato, pototoe. Half of the people I tell its pink say its purple and half I tell its purple say its pink. Anyway, depends on light, sun, time of day, yada, yada, yada. Enough people think its purple and I'm good with that and I'm good with the ones that think its pink. Its all good.

merziac

While we're at it, here's one that got away, the ask was to much, was even the right size, should have pulled the trigger.